Accommodation advice and support for care leavers
We will support you to stay in care until you're 18 years old.
What the law says we must do
The law says that we must:
- Listen to your wishes and feelings
- Appoint you a Personal Adviser
- Assess your needs
- Prepare your Pathway plan with you
- Review your Pathway plan
- Find you a suitable place to live (up to the age of 18 years old)
- Pay for your accommodation (up to the age of 18 years old)
- Give you money to live
- Keep in touch with you
- Visit you regularly
Before you're 18 years old
If you leave care before 18 years old, the law says we must offer you suitable accommodation, which has to be right for you and above all, safe.
If you return home before you are 18 years old, you will keep your ‘relevant’ care leaver status for the first six months that you're living at home. If you stay living at home and don’t come back into care, you will be a qualifying young person.
Your last LAC Review prior to your 18th birthday should ensure that there's a clear plan in place, covering where you will live and the support you will need once you're over 18 years old. Your social worker will work with you to agree plans for when you're no longer in care, including accommodation in your Pathway plan.
Living by yourself
Depending on your age and circumstances, you may wish to live on your own in a flat which you rent. Renting a home from a housing association can be affordable, but it's in high demand because there’s simply not enough for everyone. It will usually take a number of years before you get a place to live, but the sooner you join the scheme the better your chances are of getting somewhere because the person who will be given a home first will be the person in the most need, and has waited the longest.
Renting from a private landlord can be a quicker route to finding somewhere to live, but it can be confusing if you’ve never lived by yourself before. Speak to our private rented officer on 01225 39 62 96. They will talk you through the process, including getting help to pay the rent, a deposit and furnishing your home as well as your responsibilities as a tenant and those of your landlord.
Living with other people
Living with someone else is a good stepping stone to having your own place. You can learn in a supportive environment about:
- paying bills
- running a home
- getting help to access work and training.
Apply for a house share, a foyer or a hostel
If you feel you need more support, you could consider Supported Lodgings. You will live with a family but have more independence than a foster home, and the provider will help you develop the skills to live independently. Talk to your personal adviser about supported lodgings on 01225 47 78 02.
Emergency Housing
Becoming homeless is scary but there is help and emergency housing on offer. Call our Housing Options team on 01225 39 62 96 as soon as possible. They could stop you becoming homeless and find emergency housing, which will depend on your age and circumstances.
View other housing and support options in B&NES
As well as staying put and supported lodging options, your Personal Adviser will help you find other suitable accommodation. This will involve:
- Working with Bath and North East Somerset Housing Services to find suitable housing options for you, including supported accommodation, if you are not ready or don’t want to have your own tenancy.
- Supporting you to access different independent housing options including social housing (this is accommodation managed by BANES housing or a housing association).
- Helping you to access your 'setting up home allowance' ('leaving care grant') of £1,500 with an additional allowance of £500 (if needed over time) to enable you to set yourself up in your long term accommodation.
- Doing whatever we can to ease the pressures on you if you have your own place for the first time. For example, we've introduced a policy which means that care leavers living in Bath and North East Somerset don’t pay Council Tax up to the age of 25. Talk to your Personal Adviser who can speak to the Council Tax department on your behalf.
Housing help for care leavers - Housing Options team support
Living by yourself is a big step, but we can help you consider your options and decide what's right for you. We can help:
- if you have nowhere to live
- if you have been evicted
- if you're at risk of losing your home.
We’ll agree a personal housing plan with you with steps to take to help find somewhere to live, or prevent you from losing your home. Find out more by calling 01225 39 62 96, or visit us in one of our Information and Advice Centres. Our housing support gateway also has more information about housing options and support in Bath and North East Somerset.